getting to 5.x binary packages

[Matthew Seaman]

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 09:59:25PM +0300, Sander Vesik wrote:
> Ok, this is a sort of 'getting from A to B' question, except that I
> dont presently have a good idea as to where 'A' is precicely ;-)
> 
> It would be nice to have binary packages of jdk 1.4 (or 1.5 i guess,
> but anyways) so that it could be a simple download and hopefully ship
> with one of the 5.x releases. So could anybody tell me if  :
> 
>    * there is a plan (or how to get to one existing)
>    * what the plan is
>    *  what other java related plans are in FreeBSD
>    * if thereare obvious concrete ways somebody could help
>    * what these ways would be
> 
> I can promise to make a patches to the existing web pages @
> http://www.freebsd.org/java/howhelp.html  about the state if
> somebody explains it ...

The problem with providing a binary distribution is not technical, but
legal.  If you download and build the JDK from source you have to
agree to abide by the terms of the Sun Community Source License:

    http://wwws.sun.com/software/communitysource/j2se/java2/license.html

Which says it's OK to use freely for Research and for Internal
Deployment.  Commercial use and permission to redistribute are a very
different matter.  You can use the java/jdk14 port to build a FreeBSD
package for your own use, but you cannot give it away outside your own
organization.

In order for the FreeBSD Foundation to be licensed to distribute a
pre-compiled J2SE 1.4.2 JDK or JRE freely the FreeBSD port would first
have to pass Sun's compliance testing -- I believe that it has been
stated that the jdk-1.4.2 port would pass in it's current state
without any trouble at all -- but it takes money to get everything
formally tested, and then the licensing terms have to be negotiated,
again requiring some expenditure on lawyers etc.  For most
corporations I don't think the costs would be particularly onerous.
For an all volunteer project like FreeBSD they're right out of the
question unless a generous donor can be found.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       26 The Paddocks
                                                      Savill Way
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Marlow
Tel: +44 1628 476614                                  Bucks., SL7 1TH UK
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